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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · wax · straw · degree · foot · sharp · chip · board

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fine — all right
  6. chip — to eat
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — for betting
  12. board — a committee
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com